How to prepare for
a doctor's appointment.
Write one page: why you are going, what has happened since last time with dates, the medicines you take, and your three questions. Find the paperwork the night before. Hand the page over at the start and let the doctor read it.
Why prepare at all
Most appointments are short, and the first minutes go on history: when did it start, what have you tried, what are you taking. Arrive with those answers written down and the appointment starts at the problem instead. People also forget their questions the moment they sit down; written down, they survive.
The one page
- Why you are here, in one sentence.
- What has happened since the last visit, newest first, with dates. From your journal, not from memory.
- Medicines and doses, including anything over the counter.
- Allergies and conditions.
- Your questions, at most three, the most important first.
Mark it as your own notes. Hand it over at the start, or read from it. If someone comes with you, give them a copy too.
The night before
Find the letters, the referral, the last results and the list of medicines. Take a photo of anything on paper so it cannot be left on the kitchen table. If the appointment is for someone you look after, check their record for what has changed since you last looked, and ask them what they want raised.
In the room, and after
Write down the answers to your questions as you get them, and what happens next: a test, a referral, a change of dose, a date to come back. On the way home, add a short entry to the journal while the wording is fresh. The next appointment starts from that entry.
Where Biojrnl fits
Biojrnl keeps appointments as upcoming, waiting and past, with a checklist to work through before you go and a note on why you are going. Visit Prep (Pro and above) builds the one page for you: allergies, conditions, blood type, recent appointments and the journal entries since the last visit, as a PDF to hand over or show on the phone. Afterwards, the appointment takes a follow-up note of what was said and what happens next, and the letters and results attach to it as documents. See the appointments and Visit Prep screens and the guide on keeping a health journal for your doctor.
Asked most often.
How many questions should I bring?
Three, in order of importance. If there is time for more, you have them written down. If there is not, the important ones were asked.
Should I hand the doctor my notes or read from them?
Either works. Handing over one clear page lets the doctor read it in a few seconds while you settle; reading from it keeps you in control of the order. Avoid handing over a whole notebook.
What if I am going for someone else?
Prepare the same page from their record, and add what they themselves want raised. If you keep their journal, bring the recent entries; you are the witness the doctor cannot otherwise question.
Yours to keep,
in your pocket.
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